We added the wording in the centre wreath.
My aim is to help keep our elderly and less-abled folk busy and happy! However...many of the crafts and activities will also appeal to all ages and abilities, so do have a browse...Loads of different crafts and quizzes - very easy to find by clicking on category buttons below! Have also introduced some discussion on ACEO Miniature watercolour painting - a new hobby?
Saturday, 17 September 2016
An Autumn Wall Mural at Mencap
We added the wording in the centre wreath.
Labels:
acorns,
autumn,
autumn wreaths,
berries,
brownies craft,
elderly craft,
kids craft,
leaves,
nuts,
senior craft,
squirrels,
tissue paper,
tissue paper flowers,
wall mural
Thursday, 1 September 2016
A Simple Little Felt Purse - Tutorial
Here is a very simple little felt purse - we will be making these at Mencap when we start the new term in September - so more photos to follow when we see what they come up with - always delights me to see their ideas and creations!
What you will need...
Felt
Embroidery thread
Charm (optional) Can use buttons or anything else as an embellishment
Magnetic clasps (we got ours on eBay)
How to make...
Cut out your two pattern pieces and your heart (or any other shape such as a flower or something geometrical)
Felt Purse Pattern
Attach you magnetic clasps positioned as below (instructions will be with clasps)
Stitch your charm or button to your heart shape.
Sew your heart over the back of the magnetic clasp, on the outside of the flap as below, using blanket stitch.
Join the two purse pattern pieces - again, I used blanket stitch.

Thursday, 28 July 2016
Quiz - Numbers! Printable with Answers
All the answers are numbers...here is the link - printable and with answers!
Quiz - Numbers!
If you would like more quizzes then do have a look at my eBook...
41 x 10 Easy Quizzes with Answers
All types of subjects, printable and with answers - hours of fun with your groups - trivia specifically put together for our senior citizens...
Saturday, 9 July 2016
Sunday, 19 June 2016
Felt Bunnies Wall Hanging - Tutorial and Templates
A simple little felt wall hanging - here is how to make it...
You will need...
A4 sheet of felt for background
Scraps of felt for bunnies and flowers
Buttons
Pom pom or cotton wool balls for tails
Double-sided sticky pads to attach tails
Embroidery thread
Wooden dowel and ribbon to hang
How to make...
Print out the Bunnies and Flower templates
(my flowers were cut from a die on my Big Shot, but if you want to cut by hand here is a flower template to use)
Bunnies Template
Flower Template
Take your A4 sheet of felt and turn over a hem of 2cm (width of hem depends on the thickness of your wooden dowel - we used green garden stakes trimmed to size)
Bunnies Template
Flower Template
Take your A4 sheet of felt and turn over a hem of 2cm (width of hem depends on the thickness of your wooden dowel - we used green garden stakes trimmed to size)
Stitch across leaving ends open - either on machine or by hand
Cut out your bunnies and flowers
Stitch the bunnies onto the background, using a running stitch
Using double-sided sticky pads, stick on the bunny tails
First stitch both layers of flowers, together with the button and then stitch onto the background felt
Stitch stems with embroidery thread
Friday, 17 June 2016
Mencap Wins Best Float in Braintree Carnival...!
Friday, 27 May 2016
We Made Tissue Paper Flowers at Mencap for Braintree Carnival
Our Thursday Art and Craft group was asked to make lots of bright colourful Tissue Paper Flowers to put on the float and so we had a lovely afternoon making them.
We followed this excellent tutorial...
Tissue Paper Flower Tutorial
Our tissue paper came in A4 sheets, so using 5 sheets for each flower, we made them up as per the tutorial.
Saturday, 21 May 2016
Queen Elizabeth's 90th Birthday Wall Mural
Using the Daily Mail photos in the various magazines they published for the Queen's 90th Birthday, commemorating Her Majesty's life, we made a Wall Mural.
And then on the same theme, we completed three Pop-Up pages in Our Project Book.
If you want to make your own Pop-Ups here is the link Pop-Up Tutorial
Three Thursdays of great craft, celebrating a great occasion, by the Mencap, Braintree Art and Craft Group...
Thursday, 7 April 2016
Quiz - 12 Anagrams - In the Garden - Printable!
As the season changes and our thoughts turn to Spring, I thought it was a good time to have a Quiz - 12 Anagrams - In the Garden...
Here is the link...with Answers in case you get stuck!
12 Anagrams - In the Garden
Hope you enjoy this quiz - if you want more, do have a look at my eBook -
41 Easy Quizzes and Answers - Printable
Great fun with your senior groups, over a cup of tea and a biscuit...!
Friday, 4 March 2016
Felt Hand Puppets - Free Printable Patterns...!
What a lot of fun these were to make - Felt Hand Puppets!
What you will need...
Felt in A4 sheets for the main body pieces
Scraps of felt for belly patches etc
Self-adhesive felt for small patches (optional - can be sewn on instead)
Buttons
Embroidery thread and needle
Ribbon for bows for bears
How to make...
Hand Puppets Patterns
Before you start cutting out your felt, check hand size against the pattern - adjust the pattern width if necessary. Rather a little big, than too small!
Cut out two main body pieces
Cut out the appropriate patches.
Work on one of your main body pieces - We sewed the belly / snout patches on, using a running stitch, and then using self-adhesive felt, we stuck on the smaller patches. All can be either sewn or stuck on - up to you!
Buttons were stitched on for the eyes / noses and the bears each got a ribbon bow!
The monsters can be created as you will - every one is different!
When you are happy with your Hand Puppet, then stitch the two main body pieces together, close to the edges - easy to do on a sewing machine, but can be hand stitched if you like.
Thursday, 18 February 2016
Quiz - Cities with NO "A" in their names - Printable!
Just a bit of fun with your group - hand out the tea and biscuits, set a time limit of say ten minutes and see how many Cities in the World they can think of with NO "A" in their names...
Here are twenty I came up with - but there are many more...
Quiz - Cities with NO A in name
Enjoy!
If you want more Printable Quizzes, especially aimed at our senior folk, have a look at my eBook...
41 x 10 Easy Quizzes with Answers - Printable...
Hours of fun and mental exercise for your groups!
Tuesday, 9 February 2016
Saturday, 6 February 2016
Tutorial for Felt Butterfly & Flowers Wall Hanging - Printable Templates
We made Butterfly & Flower Wall Hangings this week at Mencap...
If you would like to make them with your family or with your group - they really do appeal to girls of all ages...! Here is the Tutorial with Printable Templates.
What you will need...
Felt - A4 sheet for the background
Self-adhesive felt to decorate the butterfly - or use glue...
Felt scraps for Butterfly, Flowers and Hearts
Buttons
Embroidery thread
Thin dowel (we used green garden canes cut to size)
Ribbon or cord to hang
How to make...
Turn over a narrow hem, just wide enough to slip your dowel into, and stitch - either by hand or on your machine, as I did.
Cut out your butterfly and flowers / hearts (mine are die cut, but you can use this flower and heart template)
Stitch your butterfly onto your background with a running stitch.
Cut the butterfly body out and stitch or stick it on top.
Decorate the butterfly with pieces of contrasting felt - use self-adhesive felt or use glue to attach.
Attach your flowers / hearts - we used buttons to secure them to the background.
Slip the dowel into the hemmed top and tie on your ribbon or cord.
Hope you all enjoyed making your Butterfly Wall Hangings!
Saturday, 30 January 2016
Quiz - Movies with Names in the Title - Printable!
Who wants a Quiz?
Here is one about Movies - each Movie has a name of a person in the title - print them out here...
Quiz - Movies with Names in the Title
and fill in the names...
Answers supplied if you get stuck - have fun over a cup of tea with your group...!
If you want more easy printable quizzes have a look at my eBook...
Friday, 15 January 2016
Funky Washer Necklaces - Tutorial!
These simple Washer Necklaces are very easy to put together and our class at Mencap really loved creating their own combinations of colours and designs...
What you need...
Metal washers - an assortment of sizes - look at your hardware shop for these...
Nail varnish - we bought a cheap variety - plain colours and one with sparkles in it.
Yarn or cord or leather strips - we used a cotton/rayon yarn but use any suitable - each strip about 108mm long (43inches)
Pony beads - large hole bead
Blue or White Tack (to mount beads on, when painting)
How to make...
Mount your washer on a lump of Blue or White Tack (to raise it up from your table) and paint the top side and edges with your nail varnish.
When dry, take your yarn (you can use a single piece or two or three lengths of yarn - see photos) and fold in half.
Thread the rounded end through the washer and loop the ends through so your washer hangs from the centre of your yarn.
Thread on beads and maybe add another washer - see our examples for ideas...

Tie the ends of the yarn together and you are done...
Easy to make and lovely to wear...!
Enjoy the fun of creating these funky Washer Necklaces...!
Thread on beads and maybe add another washer - see our examples for ideas...

Tie the ends of the yarn together and you are done...
Easy to make and lovely to wear...!
Enjoy the fun of creating these funky Washer Necklaces...!
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